IT 241
Information Architecture Fall 2009 Exam 1
Page 1
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009
Name _____________________________
This exam is open notes, books and Internet, but not open person. You may not communicate with
another entity during this exam in any way, shape or form.
[15 pts]
1. Compare the organizational architecture of the MapQuest (http://www.mapquest.com) web site to
the organization of a set of automobile travel guides and maps (e.g. AAA examples supplied), using
the characteristics below.
Characteristics
AAA materials
MapQuest
Components
Dimensions
Heterogeneity
For questions 2 through 8 please refer to The ESPN web site at http://espn.go.com/ and the MapQuest
site from question 1.
2. Describe two organizational schemes that can you identify in the ESPN site (alphabetical,
chronological, geographical, topical, etc)? Why are these two schemes applicable?
[10 pts]
IT 241
Information Architecture Fall 2009 Exam 1
Page 2
[10 pts]
3. Please comment on the home pages labeling system of the ESPN site:
- contextual links
- headings
- index terms
4. Discuss MapQuest’s use of icons for labeling. Find three icons to discuss with at least one being
“obvious” and at least one being “confusing”. Explain your answers in all three cases.
[10 pts]
IT 241
5.
Information Architecture Fall 2009 Exam 1
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ESPN is surprisingly devoid of visualizations. Go to MLB (Major League Baseball) under the All
Sports tab and find the Standings header. (espn.go.com/mlb/standings). Describe and show a
univariate visualization for the win-loss streak (STRK) or for the last 10 games record (L10) that
could be used instead of the numbers.
[10 pts]
6. In the same table of standings, suggest a bivariate table comparing the win percentage (PCT) and the
difference between runs scored and runs allowed (DIFF). Comment on your choice of bivariate
visualization in terms of its likely value to a reader.
[10 pts]
7. Limited to just the American League, plot the number of wins for the 14 AL teams on the scale below
between 50 and 105. Then superimpose a Tukey box plot representing the median and 25th and 75th
percentiles.
[10 pts]
┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
105
IT 241
Information Architecture Fall 2009 Exam 1
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8. Create a hierarchical visualization of the MLB standings that represents the teams by league, by
division, their standing, and their playoff potential (POFF).
[5 pts]
9.
The value 0101 0011 in binary = _______________ in decimal and its hexadecimal digits are _____.
Converting decimal 94 to binary is ______________ .
The 8bit ASCII codes in hex for the string “Code” are _____________________________________.
[7 pts]
10. Basic data formats True/False. If false, correct the statement to make it true.
[8 pts]
a. ______ A 1024 x 1024 pixel color image coded in RGB (+alpha) format requires 4 Mbytes.
b. _______ A gif file compresses by using palettes of 64 colors.
c. _______ A gif file compression is not lossy.
d. _______ An uncompressed audio file typically uses 44100 samples per minute per channel.
e. ________The sample depth for an audio recording is 8 bits per sample.
11. Create a synonym ring for the term “computer science”, and create an association list for computer
science as well. How do each play into the searching process?
[5 pts]